The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to ponder the causes of discord and anger that arises between people with different expressions of faith.
Persecution Possible
The reading from the Book of Exodus describes how the Israelites are oppressed in Egypt.
* [1:8] Who knew nothing of Joseph: the nuance intended by the Hebrew verb “know” here goes beyond precise determination. The idea may be not simply that a new king came to power who had not heard of Joseph but that this king ignored the services that Joseph had rendered to Egypt, repudiating the special relationship that existed between Joseph and his predecessor on the throne.1
Psalm 124 is a thanksgiving for Israel’s Deliverance.
* [Psalm 124] A thanksgiving which teaches that Israel’s very existence is owed to God who rescues them. In the first part Israel’s enemies are compared to the mythic sea dragon (Ps 124:2b–3a; cf. Jer 51:34) and Flood (Ps 124:3b–5; cf. Is 51:9–10). The Psalm heightens the malice of human enemies by linking them to the primordial enemies of God’s creation. Israel is a bird freed from the trapper’s snare (Ps 124:6–8)—freed originally from Pharaoh and now from the current danger.2
In the Gospel of Matthew, the disciples are warned that Jesus may not bring Peace, but a sword.
* [10:41] A prophet: one who speaks in the name of God; here, the Christian prophets who proclaim the gospel. Righteous man: since righteousness is demanded of all the disciples, it is difficult to take the righteous man of this verse and one of these little ones (Mt 10:42) as indicating different groups within the followers of Jesus. Probably all three designations are used here of Christian missionaries as such.3
Colleen Chiacchere reflects that in the Gospel reading, Jesus instructs us to be shaken out of our little bubbles, and remember that being a disciple can be difficult and countercultural.
We save our lives by losing them in our efforts and energies to lift up the dignity of and good of others. What small efforts could I do or what areas might I be invited to give my energies towards the good of others? 4
Being a disciple often involves discovering our deepest sense of self. When have I experienced consolation and joy in living from my deepest sense of self as a companion of Christ?
Being a disciple is countercultural – following Jesus involves choices about loyalties, values, actions, which can sometimes (often) be in conflict with what the world asks of us or what the world pulls us toward. When, recently, have I felt the countercultural tension of being a Christian disciple in our world?
Jesus warns us a bit as he instructs in this Gospel passage: that we have to struggle to put Christ first among our other values, relationships and loyalties: essentially, not putting anything else above our relationship with him. When have I put other values or priorities above living in a way that prioritizes my love of Christ and those on the margins?
Don Schwager quotes “How peace requires a sword,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).
"What sort of peace is it that Jesus asks them to pronounce upon entering each house? And what kind of peace is it of which the angels sing, 'Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace'? And if Jesus came not to bring peace, why did all the prophets publish peace as good news? Because this more than anything is peace: when the disease is removed. This is peace: when the cancer is cut away. Only with such radical surgery is it possible for heaven to be reunited to earth. Only in this way does the physician preserve the healthy tissue of the body. The incurable part must be amputated. Only in this way does the military commander preserve the peace: by cutting off those in rebellion. Thus it was also in the case of the tower of Babel, that their evil peace was ended by their good discord. Peace therefore was accomplished. (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 35.1)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 10:34–11:1 notes that According to the Fathers of Vatican II, family is supposed to be “the domestic church,” the place where faith is taught and encouraged to grow (Lumen Gentium, 11). But we all have family members—either close or distant—whose religious beliefs and moral expectations are different from ours. So if we are actively trying to follow Jesus, it’s no surprise that we sometimes meet with some resistance in our homes.
Jesus never says that we shouldn’t love our family. In fact, some of our conflicts may well be the result of our own pride or lack of love. But when we center our lives around Jesus and make serving him our top priority, he promises that we’ll be able to love our family members better! We’ll become more forgiving, more understanding, and more patient when conflicts arise. It’s not always easy to live together in peace. Sometimes we cause the conflicts, and at other times we don’t. But if you are trying to follow Jesus, he will find a way to bring good out of any situation. So pray for your own faith and for the faith of your loved ones, and trust that with God, all things are possible. Even acceptance, change, conversion, and reconciliation! “Jesus, help me to stay true to your law of love.”6
Today in some regions is marked as Orangemen's Day, also known as The Twelfth or Glorious Twelfth, commemorates the Battle of the Boyne, which took place in 1690 outside Drogheda, now in the Republic of Ireland. It is a provincial holiday in Newfoundland and Labrador on the Monday closest to July 12.
Friar Jude Winkler notes in Exodus, the Pharaoh is not named but the midwives are identified. The Egyptians were concerned that the Israelites might be a “fifth column” in the event of invasion by Semitic people. Friar Jude reminds us that the cost of discipleship may include persecution but those who help us will be rewarded.
James Finley offers gentle, loving instructions for what many consider traditional meditation.
let go of all that is preoccupying you at the moment. Choose to be present in the immediacy of the present moment by simply relaxing into being right where you are, just as you are. Settle into the intimate, felt sense of your bodily stillness. Settle into being aware of your breathing and whatever degree of fatigue or wakefulness you may be feeling in your body at the moment. Be aware of whatever sadness, inner peace, or other emotion may be present. Be aware of the light and the temperature in the room where you are sitting. In short, simply be present, just as you are, in the moment, just as it is. Cling to nothing. Reject nothing. Rest in this moment. . . . Relax. Give yourself a break. Simply sit in a “Here I am, Lord” stance. . . . Know and trust that God is already perfectly present in your simply being alive and real in the present moment just as it is. . . . Be humbled and grateful in knowing that you are learning to awaken to your true nature in learning to be like God. . . . Jesus said, “Judge not and you shall not be judged” (Matthew 7:1). Sitting in meditation, we put this teaching of Christ into practice in remaining present, open, and awake to ourselves just as we are, without judging, without evaluating, without clinging to or rejecting the way we simply are.7
Our practice of humility and meditation may reduce the conflict and discord that aim to disrupt Jesus' message of peace.
References
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